Sintering Behavior of Microstructured γ-Alumina with Nanosized γ-Alumina Additive

In order to fabricate an alumina ceramics with high density at low sintering temperature, nanosized γ–Al2O3 powders with average size of 9.7 nm were added to microsized γ–Al2O3 powders with 2 #m and they were well mixed. Its sintering behavior was studied in the temperature range of 1000oC to 1300oC and in holding time from 1 hour to 10 hours. Compacted samples with a different mixed ratio of nanosized and microsized Al2O3 powders (N/M ratio) were prepared and pressured at 1 GPa in a uniaxial direction. The phase transformation from γ–Al2O3 to α–Al2O3 takes place at 1100oC for 1hour sintering in all compacted samples. This rate is increased with increasing N/M ratio. The relative density varied from 70% to 95% depending on temperature and N/M ratio. With increasing sintering temperature from 1000oC to 1300oC, it was changed from 70% to 93%. Especially, the relative density was enhanced about 9% higher than that of only microsized sample by only 10 wt% addition of nanosized powders.